Star Anise Takes Over a Pot in About Ninety Seconds
One point of one star is a dose, and most people find that out by ruining a pan they had already sweetened.
Prakash Rawal
Contributing writer, Indian Chai Masala
Prakash writes about stalls and the people who run them, having grown up beside one.
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7 articles
Lemongrass Needs Bruising Rather Than Chopping
The oil sits in the fibrous lower stem, and a knife that cuts across it releases far less than one that crushes it.
The Winter Blend Is the Summer Blend With the Ratios Turned Over
The same six spices in different proportions produce two drinks that behave nothing alike in the mouth.
A Summer Masala That Drops the Ginger and Leans on Fennel
Heat-forward spice is oppressive in hot weather, and the fix is a blend built around perfume rather than pungency.
A Masala Designed to Rescue Cheap, Dusty Leaf
When the tea itself has nothing to say, the blend has to change job from accompaniment to structure.
Wet Masala Paste Keeps Two Weeks and Beats Powder Every Time
Pounding fresh ginger with whole spices into a paste captures compounds that no dry blend can hold.
A Three-Spice Blend for People Who Think They Dislike Masala
Most masala aversion is really clove aversion, and stripping the blend back to three components usually settles the argument.